North Pole Islands

It was often speculated, back in the day, that there might be some land somewhere out there in the arctic ice: it shows up in Jules Verne, for instance. So, let's assume some sort of Hawaii-like crustal hot spot under the Artic ice, and handwave the probable butterflies. When Peary (or Cook: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Peary#Controversy ) reaches the Pole, there are a couple islands, one with an active volcano, poking up a mile or so above the icecap (let's make the actual Pole between the two islands, so the poor guy doesn't have to climb up a glacial mountain to plant the flag).

So, besides making a good spot for the Fortress of Solitude, what changes due to the existence of these isles? Does someone try to claim them? Do Nazis occupy them? :) Do they become a contested spot during the cold war? (Shortens that cross-polar cap bomber flight if you can build an airbase).

Bruce
 
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(Shortens that cross-polar cap bomber flight if you can build an airbase).

Better yet, base a couple of F-15s or Su-27s out there, and you can take out some of the bombers before they even get close to your primary defensive lines. Yeah, that's going to be a hot spot.
 
Knowing the Norwegians they'd probably claim all of them and then somehow end up in control of them as a compromise between great powers (like with Svalbard). ;)
 
Theoretically, it depends on their longitude. Norway, Denmark (Greenland), Russia, US (Alaska) and Canada had established limits along some meridians for Arctic claims. However, if it's so close to the Pole, that could be troublesome (like border meridians oddily cutting the landmasses).
OTOH, there would be REALLY nothing of worth there except the possibility to create an offensive base during the Cold War, and it is likely that the matter is settled anyway by that time.
Norway has a good chance at being given the place, but that could cause trouble when they join NATO.
 
Question: wouldn't an active volcano melt all the ice for a few miles around?

Also, wouldn't an airbase just suffer from frozen fuel lines?
 
Joint Soviet-US occupation? That would make a heck of a checkpoint Charlie...

More importantly, does Santa relocate?

Bruce
 
Question: wouldn't an active volcano melt all the ice for a few miles around?


Depends on how active...

erebus_volcano_antarctica_photo_bill_rose_1983_mtu.jpg


http://www.geographic.org/photos/volcanoes/volcano_photos_23.html

Also, wouldn't an airbase just suffer from frozen fuel lines?

Heated hangers?

Bruce
 
Depends on how active...

I just checked out Mount Erebus on Google Earth. The conscientious observer might point out that Mount Erebus is conspicuously close to where the edge of the glacial shelf is, where the ice melts and breaks up. By "close to", I mean "is right next to". Coincidence? ;)

Heated hangers?

Perhaps, but I suspect you'd get a huge amount of jets crashing as they came in to landing. They wouldn't be heated outside of their hangars, after all...
 
Perhaps, but I suspect you'd get a huge amount of jets crashing as they came in to landing. They wouldn't be heated outside of their hangars, after all...

I'd like to point out that the US Air Force has operated a major base for many years at Thule in Greenland without any of these sorts of problems. That is certainly as cold as any North Pole base ever would be. Further, they also have a number of bases in Alaska, again very cold, which do not suffer this problem, and I am unaware of similar problems arising for the Russians or Canadians (also cold).
 
I'd like to point out that the US Air Force has operated a major base for many years at Thule in Greenland without any of these sorts of problems. That is certainly as cold as any North Pole base ever would be. Further, they also have a number of bases in Alaska, again very cold, which do not suffer this problem, and I am unaware of similar problems arising for the Russians or Canadians (also cold).

Also, the first person to fly over the Pole did so in 1926...

Bruce
 
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